Elevator



Nita

GEORGE A. wnEEL nQoENEw YORK, n. r, Assnn'on or oxnnmyr 'ro cnAn Es D. SEEBERGER, on cnrcnco, rumors.

ELEVATDR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,789, dated January 17', 1899.

Original application filed April 16, 1897, Serial No. 632,428. Divided and this application tiled June 1.5, 1397. Renewed October 31,1898. Serial lie-695,053. (No model.)

new and useful Improvements in Elevators,

of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my appli-.

cation filed April 16, 1897, Serial No. 032,-1 2h. My invention is an improvement in that class of elevators which are used by a continuous procession of foot-passengers, as in the case of the approach to a bridge or elevated.

via-duct.

The object of my improvement is to increase the safety and elllciency and to decrease the power necessary to operate such a structure.

The elevator shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 479,864, dated August 53, 1.892, issued upon my application, forms the basis forthe improvementshereinafter described.

I provide a frame or track support of any suitable description anda travelingstructure composed of a series of moving steps, preferably pivoted together through the medium of endless chains or belts, and I may'so arrange the course, way, or track in which the steps move that each step describes a gradual curve asit passes from its landing point orlevcl to its inclined path, orvice versa. The track is fixed in a horizontal position for one part or section and'in an inclined position for one part or seQIiQlL The junction between the two sections may be a curve to which said sections are tangent. By this means I avoid friction and am enabled to maintain the chain or jointed structure at the proper tension. I am also able by this means to avoid abrupt changes in the direction of movement of the steps. Each step is composed of a horizontal portion or trend and a vertical portion or riser. The exterior surface of the riser is convex, and the are of its convexity is approximately the same as the are described relative thereto by the adjacent steps while passing from an inclined to a horizontal portion of the track, or vice versa.- By this construction when the steps are arranged to move from a position where the line of travel horizontal to that where it is at anincline, or nice versa, no material space or separation will occur between adjacent steps. The described are is preferably the are struck by a radius equal to the length of chain connecting two successive adjacent steps, if a chain is employed, and I prefer to so arrange the arc of convexity that the point of a succeeding step in passing from the incline to thehorizontal shall gradually and slightly diverge.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention applied to one form of {U1 elevator.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the structure consisting of a track and a series of connected steps. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of one of the moving steps, showing the convex form of the riscrand the are described by the succeeding step in passing from a position where the line of travel is horizontal to that whereit is at an incline, or vice versathat is, when the steps in use are changing from a position where the treads are in parallel planes to one where they are in the same plane.

I provide two parallel fixed angle-iron channels constituting the frame of the elevator. These channels are located in parallel planes, andI prefer to construct them of sections riveted together.

it and 1t indicate the rails fixed to the described channel-iron, upon which rails the wheels m and a travel. The rails are horizontal for a portion of their course or extension and at an incline for a portion of their course or extension, the junction between the described horizontaland inclined portions being a curve with respect to which the.

described horizontal and inclined portions are tangent.

Each of the movable steps is composed pi a series of parallel brackets, like Z1, preferably of stamped sheet metal, as steel, having hubs 19. The series of brackets constituting a step are arranged upon axles h, bearing wheels or rollers, like in and n. The riser of each step upon its outer surface s is convex, the arcof convexity being substantially the same as the are described by the ad Vance point e of a succeeding step relative to the preceding step as it swings or turns ata point in its course in passing from a position where the line of travel is horizontal to that Where it is at an incline, or vice versa. The described arc is preferably one struck on a re.- dial line in length equal to the length of a linlr or chain connecting two successive adjacent steps, and I prefer to so locate the center of the are or otherwise change the curve ture of the are that as the rear step comes to the same level as the preceding step in passing from an inclined to a horizontal portion of the track its nose will gradually recede from the surface of the riser, as shown in fig. 2. The object of employing this con struction is to have the following step continuonsly swinging away from the riser of the preceding step, so that if at nny point a passengers foot comes in contact with the riser the next instant the foot is curried away, thus preventing any scraping of the foot against the riser.

At each terminal there is a stationary landing, Lindicating the lower landing, and U the upper landing, so that a passenger riding on a step may easily transfer from one to the other, as from the moving step to the stationary landing, or vice versn W 'W represent power-driven Wheels. I prefer to-appl y the power at or near the upper landing.

H is a moving hand-rail, and C is a chain through the medium of which the wheel W is driven to propel the moving handrail.

It is to be understood that the series of steps shown are preferably united by pivoted links into a continuous chain-like structure and that the power-driven movement th reel is from left to right, as shown in the. rawings, although my curved risers might be up plied to similar steps not connectodby links, but held to move together by confining-Ways or some such structure.

I may, if desired, provide idler-sprockets J to produce proper tension in the chain and to guide and control the moving structure.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters lntent, is-

1. In an elcvatorof thechrtracterdescribed, a series of steps each consisting of a tread and a riser, each riser having an exterior convex surface, stud stops being united at each end by links into an endless chain, Wheels upon which said chain is supported, and a track for said wheels arranged in horizontal sections joined to inclined sec ions, substantially as described.

2. The combination in on elevator of the chatractor described of horizontal and inclin ed track-sections, a series of stops each composed. of a tread and ariser, the latter having an or. terior conve." surface, pivoted links between successive stops uniting them into an endless chain and a series of antifriction devices su pporting the chain. structure upon the track, substantially as described.

3. In an elevatorof the charactcrdescri bed, a track arranged in'horizontal and inclined sections, said sections being united, a. series of steps a series of links flexibly uniting suit. series of steps into an endless movable structure, each. step being composed of a tread and a riser, said riser having a convex exterior surface, the arc of curvature being substantially equal to an are having a radius in. length equal to the link connecting adjacent steps, substantially as and for the purpose described;

4. In anelevating apparatus, a series of traveling steps arranged to move together, the treads of which are adapted to remain severallyhorizontal whether the steps be moving horizontally or on an incline, the said stops being provided with risers, having convex. surfaces toward the adjacent edge of adjacent steps substantially as andfor the purpose described.

5. In an elevating apparatus, a series of traveling steps arranged to move together, the treads of which are adapted to remain soverally horizontal whether the steps be moving horizontally or on an incline, the said steps being provided with curved risers having 0on vex surfaces toward the adjacent edge of adjacont steps adapted to prevent any divergence between the riser and the edge of the adjacent step in passing from an inclined to a horizontal portion of the track, and vice versa.

6. The combination in an elevator, of a series of carriages constructed to move from in clined to horizontal positions, and vice versa, each carriage having a trend and a riser curved outward to substantiz'illy coincide wilrii the path traveled, relative to said carriage by the edge of the adjacent tread in moving from one position to another, thecurve oi the riser being so laid out that the edge of the following tread diverges slightly from the riser in passing from an inclined to a horizontal position, substantially as and for the pur poses described.

Signed at new re gnite county ol' hi inv York and State of New York, this llth day of June, A. D. 1897.

GEORGE A. WuEELnn.

VViinesses: 1 THEODORE L. Cnrnnn, Jr., WALTER S. PLACE. p 

